


The Places We'll Go *** INDEFINITE HIATUS

by covacola



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Other, amnesia trope, asra's route & multiple ocs, my excuse to throw them into various au's, post-ending (asra's route)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-07 21:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20982470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/covacola/pseuds/covacola
Summary: Asra and Sage could go anywhere, but there's still something missing. Asra has Faust, Nadia has Chandra, Julian has Malak. Muriel has Inanna, Portia has Pepi. But Sage? He knows he has a familiar-- or even worse,had. And yet there are still fuzzy memories. He'll never have all of his memories back, he's accepted that. And Asra is understandably concerned when older memories-- from even before they'd met-- begin to resurface. There's still adventure to embark on, trials to face, memories to make. But how much will this hurt his lover?Some end of route spoilers included.





	1. Fallen Into Step

Sunlight filtered in through the heavy curtains, Sage snuggling closer to block it out. Asra's sleepy chuckle along with a hand through his ashy brown hair coaxed him into further consciousness. Gray-green eyes cracked open just slightly, rolling up lazily to meet dark amethyst. His dimples were so cute when he smiled. He pressed his face back into Asra's shoulder appreciatively, humming against his skin. 

A shift at his hip made his eyes slip closed again, a hand trailing over her scales. Faust’s head poked out from the blankets a moment later. The thought felt like warm tropical waves slipping up and down the sand, pressing forward in his mind then receding at a leisurely pace. _ Still sleepy... _

“Me too, Faust.” Asra giggled as he mumbled, craning his neck to plant a few quick kisses against his brow. 

“You two are too cute,” he teased. Sage stuck his tongue out in response. Asra smirked, but with eyes closed, Sage didn’t see it. His only warning was the shift in Asra’s weight before sly fingers tilted his chin up, catching him in a messy kiss. It was quick, Sage pulling away with a roll of his eyes, but he hadn’t protested at all. Asra’s devilish smile deepened, hand skimming over his side. 

Something mischievous flashed in Sage’s green eyes. There was suddenly a pillow smacked against Asra’s face, a cry of surprise muffled by it. “Breakfast,” Sage ordered, then crawled out of their bed. It was more like a nest of blankets and pillows, but whatever. He stopped briefly, letting his arm hang for Faust to slither up and around his shoulders, a sly smirk on his face as he turned toward the stairs. 

“Saaage,” Asra complained, scrambling out of their bed after him, mock groaning as he heard Sage and felt Faust laugh at him.

* * *

Breakfast was, as most things in their happy life, a haphazard, make-it-up-as-you-go kind of deal. Asra liked his tea, and while Sage usually enjoyed it as well, he _ needed _ the caffeine in the mornings-- whether or not the day could still be called “morning.” Loaded with sweet cream, Asra had often laughed at the overly sugary concoction. Even he still often underestimated Sage’s sweet tooth. 

Food was no different. Some mornings, they were content with simply sharing a loaf of their favorite pumpkin bread. Others, though, the two were ravenous enough to make a visible dent in their cabinet. More often than not, however, it was usually one eating significantly more than the other. Sage had contented himself with a thin pancake batter and a sweet syrup, occasionally plucking a few of the fruits on Asra’s plate. Asra, on the other hand, had gone all out. Fruits, various baked goods they’d bought earlier that week, and some strips of meat sauteed with a mix of oils and a half dozen different herbs. The smell was intoxicating, even is Sage wasn’t still hungry. 

Asra offered his fork, which held one of said slivers of meat, out to him. Sage raised an eyebrow, apparently he’d been staring. “I’m fine,” he tried to say, but Asra gestured. 

“No, really. Take a bite, love.” Sage rolled his eyes, but took a delicate nibble. Asra rolled his eyes in turn, huffing in exasperation. “Really, sometimes you eat less than Faust!” He plucked the piece of meat off the fork and hovered it in front of Sage’s mouth, teasing, “open up.”

He tried to protest, “I’m really not that hungry--” 

In one quick motion, the food was gone and Asra had again caught him in a surprise kiss. Honestly, after all this time, you’d think he’d be used to the tricks. He hummed contentedly as his eyes fluttered closed, taste of sweet syrup and sweet berries mixing with herbal and gamy flavors as they kissed. Okay, he _ was _ used to it, he just didn’t mind. Not one bit. 

Sage pulled himself closer, slipping into Asra’s lap, fingers brushing over his wrist, then pressing strategically against Asra’s hand, slipping the bit of meat from him, then pulling away quickly and slipping it into Asra’s still open mouth. Asra made a muffled noise then pulled back, hand reaching up and covering his mouth in a laugh. Sage was grinning wickedly, “got you.” 

It took Asra a moment to get it together. “That you did,” he agreed. Then his eyes suddenly focused, an idea visibly forming. He lifted his now empty hand, still with a bit of the oil and herbal dribbled over his fingers, and licked seductively. Sage felt a smirk settle over him as he shook his head, watching as Asra licked his hand clean. Then, with his other, not sticky hand, he took the hand Sage had fed him with. Sage’s eyebrows lifted, but he didn’t pull them away as Asra began to “clean” his hand as well. 

“That good is it?” Sage asked mock casually. 

“Better when it tastes like you, too.” It was the color of Asra’s cheeks that did it more so than anything else. 

Sage felt his eyes lidding, an idea forming of his own. “You’re all sticky,” he pointed out cooly, catching Asra’s eyes with the innuendo. “We’ll have to clean you up.” Asra’s eyes lit up. He was eager as a puppy with things like this. Sage laughed, standing and covering the remaining uneaten food for later, then pulling Asra with him into the bathroom.

* * *


	2. A New Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two see some old friends in the market, making a new acquaintance along the way.

The town was mostly up and moving by the time they had headed out. The market, busy as ever, was its usual spectacle. They didn’t have anything in particular planned, but it’d been too long since they’d gone to visit Muriel. Muriel tended to live off what he an Inanna could savage, which was by all means enough, but it never hurt to have something a little nicer every once in awhile. Asra had another little figure, a reasonable replica of Inanna, to give him as well. 

Sage smiled as he placed it on top of the fabric keeping the baked goods they were bringing warm. Asra had always loved carving, but didn’t really have patience for detailing. Sage, on the other hand, had a hard time finishing projects without getting side tracked and starting something else. Adding touches to Asra’s work had since become relatively common practice. He’d even found time to stain the carving, darkening it considerably. It wasn’t Inanna’s shadowlike coloring, but he’d managed to get some color and was quite pleased. 

Luck was on their side that morning as they ran into another friend. Or rather, she ran into them. 

“Asra! Sage!” The cheery voice called. They turned, hands not breaking from where they’d folded together until they turned around completely, beaming. Portia jogged up to greet them, smiling like the sun itself, as usual. “So you two are back! How was Milova?” 

“Cooler than usual,” Asra responded, “their having a rather mild autumn.” 

“Really?” Another familiar voice said, coming up behind them. Asra grinned as he turned. Julian strode up to them, hugging each of them in turn before taking place next to his sister. “So what’s this I hear about a chill in Milova?” 

“Oh don’t be so dramatic,” Asra teased. 

They continued for some time, but Sage followed a glimmer of movement off in the corner of his eye. It swooped down, and he didn’t bother to warn Ilya as Malak swooped down, securing himself to Julian’s shoulder, startling the tall man. Faust slipped from her usual perch to slide over onto Sage’s shoulders, then extended out in a curious greeting toward the bird.  _ Friend! _

Sage smiled at the two, a bit detached as Asra and Pasha laughed with Julian. He hadn’t even noticed the shift. 

“Sage?” Asra’s voice was tentative. 

“Hm?” Sage responded, suddenly startled. 

“You alright there?” Portia was scrutinizing him. 

He smiled dryly. “Tired,” he responded, jabbing a thumb at Asra, “ _ this one _ woke me up too early.” 

“Early?” Asra repeated in mock indignance as the other two laughed. “Sage you’d been asleep for over  _ ten hours _ .” 

“Not enough,” he sniffed, causing Ilya to actually snort, which in turn got them all laughing. 

A voice cut across them. “Do you have everything you needed, Portia?” 

Sage actually jumped at the unfamiliar tone. He saw a man, perhaps about his age, perhaps a bit older with brown hair so dark he’d initially thought it black. But it was those eyes. Asra’s eyes he was used to, dark as uncut precious stone. But this man’s eyes were practically violet. They were almost unsettling. 

“Oh, Locryn.” Portia exclaimed before going back into working mode, “yeah, I have everything on my list. You got everything, I guess?” 

“Of course,” he replied simply. He nodded to Julian, then to him and Asra. “Friends, I assume.” 

“Yeah,” she smiled, “friends of the Countess as well.” 

For some reason he perked up, becoming instantly warmer, “ah, I see.” 

Portia stepped between them, making introductions, “Locryn, this is Asra and Sage. Guys, this is Locryn, he’s, erm,” she faltered. 

Locryn smiled, and for some reason, it was unsettling. “For the moment, I am an ambassador of sorts of Hesperia.” 

“For the moment?” Sage asked. 

A sly smile came over Locryn’s already sharp features. “In truth, I am looking for permanent work under the Countess.” 

Portia shuffled uncomfortably, but didn’t say anything. 

“Oh,” was all Sage could think to say. He looked up to see Asra eyeing the newcomer wearily. Asra was generally hesitant with strangers, but in this case it seemed rather called for. 

Locryn met Asra’s gaze evenly. For a few moments, the two kept their eyes locked. Eventually, however, Asra looked away. Locryn’s smile deepened. “Portia, if these are friends of the Countess, perhaps she’d like to invite them for a time. She has been rather stressed lately.” 

Portia’s face lit up, “that’s a great idea!” She turned to the two, “and I’m sure she’d  _ love _ to see you guys, now that you’re back!” She spun on her heels, “and you too, Ilya!” It was less a question with her brother, however, and sounded more like a demand. 

“Uh, yes. Yes, of course,” Julian sputtered. Sage would have laughed, but he noticed that Locryn’s gaze had settled over Ilya. Anyone would be uncomfortable with those eyes on them. 

“Actually, um,” Asra started, “we actually have plans this evening.” They shared a look, “we’re going over to a friend’s place right now actually.” 

Ilya looked sheepish as well, “and I’m actually spoken for, unfortunately.” They all stared at him, a bit surprised. Julian’s flush deepened. “I’m... in a play tonight, actually.” 

Portia’s jaw dropped. “And you didn’t tell me?!” She stomped in anger. 

Locryn chuckled, it chilled Sage like steel. “Portia, please. Give me your supplies and I’ll take them back up to the Palace. I’m sure the Countess would want you to go see your brother.” 

Portia hummed, contemplating, glancing at Locryn. Surprisingly, she agreed. “Fine. Here,” she handed him a few things, stacking them in what should have been a precarious manner, but he balanced them well. She smiled, “thanks, Lo, you’re the best!” 

His lips pressed together in an odd sort of tension. “Of course.” Portia missed it entirely, but Asra didn’t. He and Sage shared a look. But then those eyes were burning into them again and they met his gaze. “Please do feel free to drop by the Palace, Asra and Sage,” he turned, “and you, Julian.” He paused before adding, “I’m sure the Countess really would appreciate it.” He sounded stiff, but...he seemed to be trying to be more genuine. Portia softened, opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off. “I’ll be going then,” he strode past them briskly, “I’ll inform the Countess of your whereabouts, Portia.” 

“Yeah,” she said, stumbling back a bit as he brushed past her. She stared at his retreating back, “see you...” 

There was an uncomfortable silence. “Er, why don’t we all go for a snack or something, catch up, you know.” Leave it to Julian to try and pick the mood back up. 

Despite having just eaten a whole feast, Asra smiled warmly and agreed, “sounds good.” 

Portia beamed, “I know a great place not too far from here, c’mon!” 

Sage felt himself smiling along with the others, following Portia’s excited step and Julian’s long strides, fingers slipping back into place with Asra’s. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> huehue more to come. Locryn is an interesting character who was actually my first not insert Apprentice for Nadi's route. His backstory was actually tied up in Lucio's lore, so I'm actually p happy that we got more of that. Get ready for my Ilya apprentice route oc. In this tho, this mostly follows as Sage being the apprentice/Asra's route, so I just kinda modified eb else's stories to fall into place.


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